QPR’s Loïc Remy hoping to emulate Arsenal legend Thierry Henry

Loïc Remy has revealed that he wants to emulate Arsenal legend Thierry Henry after sealing a January move to Queens Park Rangers.

The 26-year-old scored on his QPR debut in a 1-1 draw with West Ham United last weekend after completing a much-anticipated £8m switch to the Hoops from Marseille.

The new signing has already earned comparisons to Henry from QPR coach Kevin Bond, and Remy is hoping to match his compatriot’s impact in the Premier League – the former Barcelona striker scored 175 goals in the English top flight.

“My family are from Martinique, he’s half [Martinique], that’s where it must come from,” he told the Sun.

“The biggest compliment in 10 years would be: ‘Remy had a career like Titi Henry’.

“He’s played more than 50 matches flat out every season for 15 years, scored 51 goals for France, has an incredible record of trophies.

“For the time being I’m very far away. But you can always dream of being a big name in French football.”

Remy also admitted that he struggled to compete with his former Lyon colleagues Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa during the early stages of his career at the seven-time Ligue 1 winners.

But the France international is delighted to have improved his mentality since those youth team days and to be successfully following in the footsteps of Benzema and Ben Arfa.

“One day, we were playing a reserve team match and I wasn’t with it. [Youth coach Robert Valette] screamed at me: ‘You’re not playing in your neighbourhood here’. Everyone heard him and that shook me up,” he added.

“He wanted me to understand that it wasn’t a kickabout next to a block of flats — that football is serious.

“At that age I felt helpless, I let things happen. Luckily I became a totally different person. Now, after Karim and Hatem, I am the third player from the Lyon generation to become an international.”